Dream Pawn
by Swindle
Summary: Freddy is forced to do someone else's dirty work. Fortunatly the reward will make it all worthwhile. Crossover
1. Night People

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters involved in this story. They are all the property of their respecitve...er...owners. And stuff. All song lyrics belong to the all mighty Dio. I'm broke.

Prologue

-"Do you like the dark? Do you like the way it moves?"-

Freddy Krueger was not afraid. Fear would be far too strong a word to describe what he was feeling at the moment. However he did find himself, for the first time since his death, edging towards apprehension. He stalked warily through the darkness and swirling mist that surrounded him. This was not the dreamscape. Somehow he had been pulled out of his realm and dropped into this one. He hadn't felt it happen. He'd had no chance to fight it. He was simply here.

Something was glowing blood red in the darkness ahead of him. Krueger stopped, tapping his claws against his shoulder. A scowl settled over his features as he waited for whoever or whatever it was to come to him. The form started to come clear in the darkness as it neared, shadows washed over it like water.

It could have been a man, once. Its flesh appeared to have been stripped away exposing raw red tissue, muscles and tendons. Its entire face was covered by a silver metal mask and red glowing visor. From where the nose should be to the chin and stretched up his cheeks the mask had been crafted into some twisted semblance of a sinister smile. The visor covered the rest of his face and the metal curved around his head, encasing the thing's exposed brain. At the center front of the head piece a long piece of metal extended upwards ending in a 'Z', giving the impression that it was a crown of sorts.

The same silver metal sparingly decorated its body. Following the curve of the collar bone then plunged down the center of its body to just above the stomach. Three pieces on either side of the center line extended over its chest. Another piece encased the lower half only enough to satisfy modesty. Arms and legs were sparsely adorned, most notably over its fingertips where the metal formed sharp claws.

Thin tubes pumping a clear liquid snaked around the body. From back to chest and from arm to hip. The tubes wound their way under the silver armor before entering the red skin. A large 'Z' tipped staff was gripped in one clawed hand.

"Who are you?" Freddy growled.

"I am Lord Zedd." The voice was full of dark menace and authority.

"And this..." Freddy gestured towards the scenery.

"My dark dimension. I have summoned you here because I have a use for you."

"Summoned?" Freddy took a step forward, flexing his claws threateningly. His eyes burned with fury. "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?"

Power rippled through the air washing over him like a wave. Freddy hesitated. The apprehension he experienced earlier nagged at him again. Lord Zedd chuckled darkly.

"You may be able to intimidate humans with your posturing and your blades, but I am a different matter. Now listen well, dream demon. I have a job for you. If you succeed, I will grant you what you desire."

"Oh yeah?" Freddy challenged. "And what's that?"

"I will destroy the barriers keeping you imprisoned in the town of Springwood. You will be free to invade the dreams of anyone on this planet.

Freddy smiled showing rotted teeth.

"And...what would I have to do?"


	2. Don't Talk to Strangers

- "And I, I'm darkness, I'm anger, I'm pain  
I am master  
The evil song you sing inside your brain" -

Kimberly Hart carefully picked her way though a dense jungle. Trees rose high above her head to form a thick canopy. The sun managed to penetrate the trees with a few scattered rays giving her precious little light to navigate by. The air was dense with humidity. It wasn't long before her brown hair hung heavy with moisture and her pink and white night gown became drenched with sweat. The plants around her were like nothing she had ever seen. She was no expert on the matter but she could at least be certain that nothing so large existed in California.

She tried to remember how she had arrived in this place, in her night gown no less. Unfortunately she found that she had no idea. Her bare feet treaded carefully on the moist jungle floor. She would have no protection if she unwittingly disturbed the hiding place of some kind of poisonous insect or snake. Her eyes wandered to the trees. If she could find one suitable for climbing the higher vantage point might allow her to see more of the jungle. If she was out here...perhaps others were as well. There might be a building or camp site nearby.

All of the tree's branches seemed too high up to even consider trying for. Then she spotted a fallen tree. If she climbed onto that it would be quite a jump...but with years of gymnastic training on her side she would be able to catch the branches of the tree next to it and begin her ascent. She had almost reached her destination when suddenly her foot sank into something mushy and a terrible smell assaulted her. Her foot jerked away instinctively. The act caused her to lose balance and fall to the ground.

For a long moment she stared, trying to comprehend what she was seeing. Lying on the jungle floor, half hidden by foliage was the enormous body of a pterodactyl. The corpse was in advanced stages of decay. A section of it's abdomen was collapsed where she had accidentally stepped on it. Maggots and half rotten intestines spilled from the wound. Rotten flesh clung to most of the body. A few places seemed to have been neglected by the ravages of time, leaving leathery pink flesh intact.

She quite suddenly became aware of a strange sensation on her foot and gasped when she realized it was covered in slimy decayed matter and writhing white maggots. Kim stood and scraped her foot along the jungle floor to clean some of the mess away, then shook her foot to dislodge the maggots. She reached to pull an enormous leaf from a nearby plant to wipe away the gore when a sudden movement made her freeze.

Kim watched the corpse intently for a moment wondering if she had imagined it. Concluding that it must have been an animal scurrying over the body she reached for the leaf again, although kept one watchful eye on the dead lizard. This time there was no mistaking it. The thing's wing twitched. Her heart raced and her eyes grew wide as the creature lifted it's head. The head shook violently from side to side, splattering her with maggots and foul smelling grey matter. She knew that she should run, but a mixture of fear and fascination held her in place.

The pterodactyl planted it's wings against the ground and pushed. Slowly it rose, it's wings lifting it higher and higher until it towered over her. It stared, eyeless sockets regarding her quizzically. Startled by the movement the maggots in it's left eye socket writhed frantically. The flesh of it's right side had been stripped away leaving gleaming white skull exposed. A loud screech tore from it's undead throat before it lunged forward, snapping it's sharp beak at Kimberly. She barely leapt back in time to avoid injury.

Finally Kimberly regained her senses. She didn't want to risk provoking the monster to attack by running so she started to back slowly into the jungle. The pterodactyl beat it's powerful wings and leapt into the air. More of it's innards spilled out as it took flight. A mass of rotted intestine splattered to the ground while the rest continued to dangle obscenely from it's punctured side. Caution was thrown to the wind as Kimberly turned and ran. Behind her the creature screeched in fury and began to give chase.

The forest was a blur as she ran, thought giving way to instinct as she dodged vines and leapt over rocks and fallen tree branches. The creature always sounded as if it were right behind her. Some part of her realized that the dense jungle should be impeding the creature's pursuit. This place she was in did not seem to be constrained to the same laws as the real world. It almost seemed like...like a dream.

Kimberly's flight through the jungle as well as her thought process were both abruptly interrupted. Sudden intense pain seized her as the creature's talons dug into her flesh. It had aimed for her shoulder, but the creature's massive size meant that the center talon hit the mark while the other two ripped through her chest and arm. The undead hunter was not able to keep hold of it's prey however. Kimberly's running momentum forcibly ripped the talons free and propelled her to the ground. Blood drenched her left side from the three deep gashes.

Running hadn't worked, which meant it was time to fight. Kimberly forced herself to stand and dropped automatically into an expert defensive position only to find that her opponent had disappeared. Unwilling to believe that the danger had passed so simply she held her stance. Loss of blood was beginning to make her woozy. The sounds of the jungle faded away until she was left in total silence. Her heart raced as she watched the shadows around her for any signs of danger.

"Sorry. That was an outdated model, wasn't it?"

From out of the darkness a man emerged. Kimberly's stomach twisted into a fearful knot at the sight of him. His face was horribly scarred and twisted into an amused smile. One hand bore a glove fitted with long deadly blades. His appearance was horrible, but that wasn't what caused Kimberly's fear. She was accustomed to fighting many monsters conjured by Lord Zedd that would beat this man in an 'ugly and scary looking' contest. No, it was something else that unnerved her about him. He radiated a sense of almost tangible malice. True evil. Something that she had only ever felt those few times she had been unfortunate enough to be face to face with Zedd.

"I can try for a Firebird next time."

"Who are you?" She demanded, doing an admirable job of hiding her weakness.

"Me? I'm new in town." He started towards her, his claws raised in an almost casual gesture.

"Wanna show me around town, Pretty in Pink?" His index and middle claws clicked together.

"How about I show you the way out?" Kimberly ran towards him and performed a sweeping kick that knocked the man onto his back. She brought her foot down on his neck and began to apply pressure.

"It's only our first date and you've already got me on my back with my legs spread."

Kim glared in disgust and slammed her foot down on the monster's neck. The neck collapsed under the pressure with a sickening crack. The scarred man grinned, blood staining his teeth and pouring from his mouth. Kim jerked back when she again felt something move against her foot. The threads of his red and green sweater were unraveling and snaking their way up her leg. She hopped backward to try and dislodge them. The threads effortlessly and painfully slid under her flesh and continued to wind their way up her leg from the inside.

Fearfully she looked at the man as he stood, spat a glob of blood onto the jungle floor then with a snap of his fingers made the wound on his neck disappear as if it never was.

"What are you!" She screamed as her fear betrayed her.

"Hired help." He replied. The threads were no longer attached to his sweater, instead snaking through her flesh of their own power. The pain was too intense for her to stand now. Kimberly staggered back, leaning against a tree for support.

"Name's Freddy Krueger."

For a moment Kimberly could do nothing but stare in horror as Freddy Krueger stalked towards her like a deadly predator moving in for the kill. She had to move. If she didn't move he would kill her. Her features hardened with determination. Hands clenched into fists.

Biting back her pain she forced her body to move with it's usual eloquent grace.

Freddy lunged for her when she moved, his claws slashing in a deadly arc. She flipped over his head, stumbling slightly on her landing. It wasn't enough to stop her fighting for her life however. She delivered a powerful kick to Freddy's back sending him crashing into the tree with a grunt of pain. He whirled, slashing out with his blades again. Kimberly dodged smoothly to the side. One arm blocked his strike while the other sent a fist slamming into his side. The strike sent him to the ground with a cry of pain.

"Lemme guess." Kimberly said. "Zedd sent you?"

Freddy growled in response as he picked himself up. Kimberly was pleased that she had managed to kill his sense of sick amusement. She ran, leapt, and delivered a flying kick that hit him square in the chest. The monster of a man flew backwards and was swallowed by the darkness of his own jungle. She sank into a fighting position again, waiting for his return. Long silent moments passed. As her adrenaline rush began to abate her body started to remember it's suffering. Kimberly allowed herself to stagger backwards, leaning against a tree to take the weight from her injured leg.

Time dragged on and still nothing happened. Kimberly began to think that she had perhaps defeated the monster, or at the very least driven him away. What happened next occurred so quickly that she was left with no time to react. The tree she was using for support came to life, two limbs impossibly bending inward to hold her in a crushing embrace. Kimberly screamed and struggled to dislodge herself from the tree's grasp. Freddy's laughter echoed through the jungle as the branches squeezed the air from her lungs. Black dots danced in front of her eyes. Gradually her struggles weakened then stopped all together as her world faded away.

Freddy stepped confidently towards his prey and grinned with satisfaction.

"One down. Five to go."


	3. One Foot in the Grave

Chapter 2: One Foot in the Grave

-"Helter skelter, now, give me shelter. My brain is twisting again. I could be dreaming this. No, I'm screaming this. No more, no."-

Tommy Oliver watched as the five minute warning bell sent the students of Angel Grove High School into action. Conversations were abandoned, books quickly gathered, and teens hastened to their first period classes. He should be following their example. Instead he remained standing beside his locker, scanning the faces of the dissipating crowd. His girlfriend Kimberly was supposed to have met him here ten minutes ago. Now, class was about to start and she was no where in sight. She had never blown him off before and he considered it a near impossibility that she had simply forgotten.

"Hey Tommy, what's up?" Jason Scott, a black haired boy sporting a red shirt and black jeans stopped before his best friend's locker.

He noted that Tommy had given the same careful consideration to the day's wardrobe as he had. Blue jeans and a simple white shirt with a brown jacket thrown over it all, his long brown hair pulled into a quick pony tail Jason had simply intended to give a quick greeting before hurrying to his class, but the look on his friend's face made him pause. He looked distracted…almost worried.

"I was supposed to meet Kim here, but she never showed. Looks like she might not be in school today."

His tone was causal, but Jason would not dismiss the concern he had noted in his friend so easily.

"Maybe she's not feeling well." Jason suggested. "Let's go to her place after school and see if she's alright.

"Yeah." Tommy agreed.

A last hopeful glance was given to the hallways before he decided at last to abandon his post. He shoved his books into his bag, then he and Jason sprinted towards their classes.

Xx

Trini Kwan sipped her smoothie as her eyes wandered distractedly towards the door of the gym and juice bar. Today was Wednesday. Wednesday was the day that Jason and Tommy taught a karate class for elementary school kids. Wednesdays also meant that the whole group gathered at the juice bar. She, Billy, Zack and Kimberly would spend the time studying or conversing until the class was finished and Tommy and Jason could join them. Zack had told her earlier that he'd made plans today and wouldn't be able to join them. As for the others…school was now an hour over and Billy was the only one to have made an appearance. He was engrossed in his math book while hers sat in front of her, open but neglected.

She'd had nightmares last night. She couldn't recall them and didn't really want to try. Whatever had haunted her dreams had been enough to force her to wake with a jolt and leave a lingering sense of unease about surrendering herself to sleep again that night. The combination of concern and fatigue made focusing on the math impossible.

Children dressed in their martial arts attire started to file onto the exercise mat and Trini glanced at the clock. Two minutes until class started and the teachers were still no where in sight. Confident that their mentors would arrive soon the children started their warm up stretches.

"They're late today." Trini remarked.

Billy glanced to the clock to confirm her statement and a mild look of surprise stole over him.

"Most unusual."

In her opinion, Billy always managed to sound like a college professor. He had the most extensive vocabulary of anyone she had ever met, sometimes making use of words that she and her friends were not even aware existed. It wasn't that he was trying to make anyone feel inferior, or even that he felt superior himself. Rather it seemed that there was an innocent ignorance about him. He simply didn't always remember that he was not on the same intellectual level as everyone else.

He had been so intent on his math work that he had lost track of time. Now he shared his friend's concern. Sometimes one of the two did not show up, but they always made certain that the other would cover the class. For both Jason and Tommy to be missing was troubling.

"I guess I'll have to cover for them." Trini said, getting up from her seat.

"I'll see if I can find them." Billy offered.

He closed his math book and started to gather both of their things as Trini started towards the students. She made it half way across the room before Jason entered the juice bar. Rather than quell her troubled thoughts, his appearance intensified them. Jason was there alone, and his worried expression spoke volumes.

"What's going on?" She asked as she hurried over to him.

Jason waited for Billy to join them before pulling both of his friends into a corner. They waited impatiently as Jason struggled to put his thoughts in order.

"Kimberly…" He let the word hang for a moment. "She…she was hurt. Badly. She's in a coma and they don't know if she's going to survive. Tommy's with her at the hospital."

"What?" Trini gasped in disbelief. "Was it…"

"We don't know." Jason answered the unspoken question. Was it Lord Zedd?"

"Give me a minute." He said and went over to address his karate class.

Trini and Billy waited in uncomfortable silence as Jason dismissed the class for the day. Trini alternated between looking at Billy and the floor. She and her friends carried a much heavier burden that anyone else their age. After all they were charged with the task of defending the world. Still, Trini had never thought that something like this would happen. She always managed to keep her two worlds separate. Her worries were normally confined to the battlefield and disappeared with her suit.

Jason rejoined them and the trio headed out of the gym, towards the hospital.

Xxx

The constant beep of the life support machines was the only sound in hospital room 1428. Tommy could not take his eyes from the prone form lying on the hospital bed in front of him. White bandages concealed the deep gashes cut into her shoulder, chest, and arm and she still looked pale from loss of blood.

Her parents had heard her scream during the night and went to her bedroom to investigate. They found their daughter in a blood soaked bed, barely alive. The Hart's security system had been activated all night and the police hadn't found any signs of an intruder. Everyone was baffled as to what might have happened. Everyone, of course, except for Tommy and his friends.

Until about fifteen minutes ago Kim's mother had been in the room with him. Her father had come to the hospital after work and for a time, the three of them silently shared in the same troubled thoughts. Mr. Hart had convinced his wife to go home long enough to pack a bag if she intended to stay at the hospital. Tommy had wanted so badly to provide answers to the questions circulating around the room. Who? Why? How?

That, of course, was impossible. To provide those answers would be to break his vow of secrecy. Not that they would be able to do anything with this knowledge anyway. The best thing Tommy could do was make a silent promise to her parents that this wrong would be avenged.

The door opened, distracting him from his thoughts. Trini and Billy hesitated at the doorway, their gazes fixed on their injured friend. Tommy acknowledged them with a slight nod.

"Visiting hours are going to be over soon." Trini said quietly.

"Yeah." Tommy replied, his voice distant. "Her mom's gonna stay with her."

The three looked at their injured friend in unbroken silence until the door opened again. Mrs. Hart entered, a duffel bag slung over her shoulder and a haggard expression on her face. She was followed by a doctor who addressed the teens.

"Sorry guys, visiting hours are over."

Tommy nodded and got up from his seat. He locked eyes with Mrs. Hart for a moment. He felt a wash of guilt when he thought about all the things he knew about Kim's life that her mother did not.

"I'll be by tomorrow…if that's okay." Tommy said. Mrs. Hart managed a sad smile and a slight nod.

"Of course, Tommy."

He returned the smile with one equally sad before joining his friends. The doctor had not wanted too many people in the room at a time, so Jason had waited for them in the lobby. They walked in silence until they were a few feet from the hospital.

"I called Zack." Jason said. Tommy gave another silent nod that was starting to become his standard response. "He wasn't home, so I left a message with his mom that we'd all meet at the juice bar after school before going to the hospital. I've got to cancel another class."

"What are we doing to do?" Trini whispered, looking to Jason.

Jason wished that he could answer truthfully. He didn't know. But, as the leader it was his job to provide something better than that. If not hope, then at least direction.

"We haven't gotten word of any monster…Tomorrow we'll see what we can find after we visit Kim."

They parted ways with few words exchanged, each lost in a similar string of thoughts.

Xxx

With great power comes great responsibility. Fate of the world stuff always comes before a social life. Such is the curse of a superhero. Superman was always forced to leave Lois Lane standing alone in the cold in order to save the world. Spider-man was never able to keep his dates with Mary Jane because there was always someone somewhere who needed help. Zack Taylor felt the pain of the fictional heroes as his attempts at wooing Angela always seemed to be curtailed by his own secrete duty towards the world.

Well, at least that's what he decided to believe when he saw his situation with her in a more optimistic light And being the optimistic kind of guy that he was, this was most often the case. Sometimes however, he let himself remember that she never did give him the time of day before these duties were entrusted to him, and later that his failed attempts to gain her favor never had much to do with his need to combat evil.

However it was undeniable that the first real date he'd ever had with Angela had been ruined by an attack. He had been forced to abandon her in the middle of a movie in order to do battle. Nearly half an hour later he returned in time to see the movie nearing it's end. He had a large tub of popcorn as excuse for his absence, but for some reason she would not believe that there had been a thirty minute line for the snack bar. She left him alone in the theater after overturning the popcorn on his head.

After much persistence and a few of his patented 'smooth moves' Zack had convinced Angela to give him another chance. There had been another incident concerning pearl earrings on her birthday…but luckily she had forgiven him for that one. Things had progressed slowly but smoothly from there.

He had taken her out after school. They went out to eat, to a movie, and finally on a stroll through the park. The charm and wit he poured on throughout the evening had been enough to earn him a 'goodnight' kiss after he walked her to her door.

His walk home was occasionally interrupted by the sudden twirls and dance moves his good mood inspired. Zack still couldn't believe that the date had gone so smoothly. He had taken her on a full date. He hadn't been forced to abandon her and the flowers he gave her never once tried to kill them. Zack thought that his good mood might last for a whole week…or a month…maybe forever. That was until he entered his house and his mother met him at the door with a pained expression and a terrible message from Jason.

The shocking news weighed heavily on his mind. He was awake for several hours after he should have been in bed, dwelling on the tragedy that had befallen his friend. The events that had seemed so important earlier now seemed foolish. Somehow he convinced himself that he should have been there to help. They were a team after all, and he'd had no idea she had even been wounded until the day after. Eventually his anguished musing was dulled as his mind started to drift away, his body demanding sleep. He surrendered.

Xx

The next day Zack was forced to stay late after school. By the time he was able to leave there was not a person in sight. No students staying after for clubs, no teachers, not even a janitor remained in the building. When he stepped outside the light was fading as late afternoon gave way to evening. No cars were left in the parking lot and no people loitered anywhere near the school. He was impatient to make it to the Juice bar before his friends left for the hospital without him. He ran through the streets a short distance before slowing to a jog and finally stopping all together. Fear whispered in the back of his mind and gripped his stomach with a nervous fluttering.

There were no cars on the roads. The stores were all open but deserted. No one was walking the streets. It was as if all the people of Angel Grove had vanished. He continued on towards the Juice bar, more because he couldn't think of any where else to go than any real hope of finding his friends. The silence was oppressive. Each small sound registered thunderous in his ears. The wind blowing, his shoes on the pavement, his own heart racing in his chest.

Zack hesitated before the familiar doors of Ernie's Gym and Juice bar, suddenly fearful of what he might find on the other side. Afraid of the nothing he knows will greet him. Still he felt compelled check. The same terrible silence prevailed inside a building normally filled with cheerful conversations and laughter. Zack paced slowly around the tables looking for some sign of life. An abandoned book bag or half eaten snack. He found bare tables with the chairs pushed neatly under them.

A loud sound cut through the silence like a knife making Zack jump. He spun towards it's source and saw Ernie behind the counter watching a sickly looking green and red mixture whirl in the blender. Ernie seemed not to notice him. Zack approached slowly, suddenly fearful of the man who had been a friend for so many years. It was not until he reached the counter that Ernie acknowledged his presence. He shut off the blender, smiled at Zack, then poured the foul looking concoction into a cup.

"Here ya go." Ernie said, sliding the cup over to Zack. It smelled like rotten garbage and decay.

"Ernie?" Zack asked hesitantly.

"What's up, Zack?" Ernie responded brightly.

"Ernie…didn't you notice? All the people…"

"What?"

"All the people…are gone."

"Well, that would explain why I haven't had any business today." Ernie reasoned with a disturbing calmness.

He pulled out an oversized knife and bunch of fruit then set about making another smoothie. He chopped an unpeeled banana in half then dropped it into the blender, still dirty from what was left of his last attempt at a drink.

"You're probably waiting for your friends, right?" He continued conversing as the knife sliced through strawberries.

"Uh…yeah." Zack responded.

"I'm sure they'll turn up." He said, unconcerned. He chopped the tops off of a few more strawberries and tossed them into the blender. Then he brought the knife down hard on his own fingers.

"ERNIE!" Zack leapt back, his eyes wide.

Three severed, one flew onto the floor from the force of the blow. Ernie held his injured hand over the blender, letting the blood mix with the fruit.

"…Ernie…" Zack stared in horror as Ernie picked up the two fingers left on the counter and dropped them into the mix. The rest of his sentence was drowned out as the blender started again.

"Why don't you play a video game or something while you wait?" Ernie suggested when the roar died down.

Zack stared in horror, torn between the desire to help his friend and the urge to run in fear. His mind screamed at him to flee. He knew that something was wrong here. This was not supposed to be happening. When Ernie poured the new mix of fruit and gore into a cup and took a long drink Zack decided to run.

He dodged around the tables, ignoring Ernie as he called out to him, asking if he wanted to try some. He reached the door and tried to tug it open, but it was stuck. He pulled and felt it come loose. There was noise behind him and he paused, just for a moment, to see what it was. Ernie was coming towards him, blood stained knife held in his uninjured hand. The other still spurting blood.

"Zack, come here. Let me show you something." He said, gesturing towards him with the knife.

One last desperate pull and the door opened. Zack raced through it and nearly barreled into the figure waiting for him on the other side. He leapt back, holding his arm up for protection as razor sharp claws slashed out and sliced through his arm, what would have been his chest if he had reacted a second later. Sick amused laughter mixed with a persistent buzzing sound. Then Zack's eyes flew open and he sat up in bed.

His breath came in unsteady gasps. Mechanically he reached over and shut off his alarm clock, then noticed that his left arm was soaking his sheets in blood from four deep cuts.


	4. Shame on the Night

Authors Note: If anyone's been reading this (and I hope that there are at least a few of you .) Sorry that it's taken so long for me to update, and that the update is so pitifully small on top of that. But a tragic thing has befallen me. I have lost my computer! Okay, so I didn't lose it. It just broke. So, I am reduced to writing by hand and typing things up at the local library whenever I have a spare couple of hours (and feel like dragging my lazy ass down to the library on top of that) So new chapters will come...although they may take their sweet time in arriving.

Shame on the Night

-"You don't care what you've done so I know I'd better run. Shame on the night for places I've been and what I've seen for giving me the strangest dreams" 

"Why isn't she dead?"

Freddy glanced over his shoulder to see Lord Zedd striding towards him, his 'Z' staff pointed accusingly at his back. The shift from the dreamscape to the dark dimension had been as seamless and sudden as it had the first time. Seems that whenever the whim overtook Lord Zedd to have a little business meeting, he had no choice but to attend. Freddy decided that it was inexcusably rude, and no one was rude to Freddy Kruger who didn't later find themselves as another number in his extensive body count. Unfortunately Zedd was different. Zedd commanded a power that he had never before encountered. Feeling outclassed and powerless was an entirely new feeling for him. It was extremely frustrating.

"You promised me results!"

Taking orders and being reprimanded for failing to complete those orders were also new experiences for him. Frustration was very quickly giving way to anger.

"You think it's so easy, then why don't you finish the bitch yourself?" Freddy growled.

The person in question was hanging unconscious in a tangle of tree limbs, her blood soaked night gown clinging to her injured frame. Freddy watched as Zedd walked past him and reached a clawed hand toward the girl. Inches from her face an invisible barrier stopped him. Energy rippled over his fingers and down his arm. The same thing that had happened to Freddy earlier when he had attempted to end the girl's life.

Zedd growled, more from annoyance than the pain, and pulled back, curling his hand into a fist.

"This is Zordon's doing. He's managed to use the morphing grid's energy to create a shield."

Freddy decided that another thing he didn't like was being ignored, and the way Zedd seemed to be more musing to himself than informing him of what was going on was pissing him off.

"Who and what?"

"My old foe." Zedd at last turned to acknowledge him. "And mentor to these brats."

"Why the hell didn't you mention this guy before?"

"I hadn't thought that his influence would extend even into your realm. But it is of little concern. Now that I am aware of this development, it will be simple to stop him from doing the same for the others. And the Pink Ranger will be the perfect bait to lure her friends to their dooms."

"Anything else about this job you might wanna mention?" Freddy demanded, his voice dropped to a low menacing tone. He closed the distance between himself and his 'boss'. The silver mask that passed as Zedd's face was barely inches from his own.

Zedd brought his staff up between them and used it to force Kruger away.

"Only that you are a disappointment. You have had several days to kill six children. I come here

expecting corpses and instead find one captive girl. You are as much of a miserable failure as my own sniveling troops." He shook his head in disgust. "Well that's what I get for outsourcing to someone who used to be human.

Freddy snapped an angry reply that was wasted on an uncouncious girl. Reality had shifted again. He was back to the dreamscape and Zedd was...wherever it was that he came from. Kruger paced around his captive, seething with anger, pondering his next move. He had no doubt that Lord Zedd had the power to do what he promised should he succeed. The question was, was it worth it?

AN:

So, for anyone who hasen't figured it out before this chapter, there ya go. It's Freddy Kruger VS the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers . Hope that everyone sticks around to see what will happen. I hope that I can make what will happen intresting enough to stick around for...


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